Hayden Panettiere: 'Support for postpartum depression shocked me'

Hayden Panettiere was shocked by the outpouring of support she received after admitting she was suffering from postpartum depression.

In December 2014 Hayden and her boxer partner Wladimir Klitschko welcomed their first child together, a little girl called Kaya. Following the birth Hayden suffered with depression, revealing what she was going through in 2015. In October of that year her representative confirmed the 26-year-old was seeking "professional help at a treatment centre" to help battle the illness.

Hayden is once again feeling her best now and confesses she can't believe how much love she received.

"I've gotten an incredible amount of support and I was actually really surprised cause I feel like I grew up in this industry that, in my mind, was very judgmental," she gushed to ET

"I didn't even look at social media. Then, when I looked, people were like, 'Oh my gosh, good for you,' and I am so proud to be a spokesperson and a woman that people can look to and to know that they're not alone and they're not weak if they go and they seek help."

Hayden wowed on the red carpet at Sunday night's (17Jan15) Critics' Choice Awards, where she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for Nashville. She lost out to Constance Zimmer in Unreal, but enjoyed the evening none the less.

Hayden had to take some time out from filming the TV show when she sought treatment, and going back proved difficult for the actress.

"To be honest it was kind of a rocky start for me and especially emotionally," she shared. "The first scene that I did the other day when I saw certain people that I haven't seen in a while and I felt really comfortable - I just lost it and I couldn't keep it together. So, it held us up for a second but we got it at the end."